AN ARCHIVE TOUR OF STORNOWAY Stornoway Historical Society 30 January 2012

PROJECT OVERVIEW [PowerPoint slide 1 – title slide] Tasglann nan Eilean Siar is a three year project established in 2010 and funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Comhairle and Comunn na Gàidhlig. Consisting of a staff of three: there is myself as Project Manager and Archivist, Donna Morrison as our Gaelic-speaking Archive Assistant and Katie Anne Maciver as the Project Assistant. Our roll is to help identify and promote the archival holdings of the islands to as wide a research audience as possible. This not only includes the historical records of the Comhairle but also the other public authorities in the Western Isles such as the health board, police and fire. It further extends to mapping the location and content of archives held in private hands. This includes the Comainn Eachdraidhs of the Islands, businesses, trade associations and pretty much any organisation or individual who holds historical records. We are not actively collecting records, but identifying their whereabouts and offering advice and assistance on their care and management.

A rather large distraction for the project is the Lews Castle Museum & Archive project. This would see a professionally staffed, international standards compliant archive store and service being established within the new museum complex at Lews Castle. It would provide a home for the archival records of the public authorities of the Islands and a potential home to the records of key businesses, organisations and individuals who are willing to make the content of their records publicly available. Significantly, it would also see the return of government records relating to the islands that are currently held in the National Archives in Edinburgh including Customs and Excise, fisheries and church records. The new facility isn’t to duplicate, usurp or step on the toes of the important role of the Historical Societies of the Western Isles, but would offer a continuous advice and support role in a similar way to that undertaken by Museum nan Eilean since its establishment.

Along with all of this, we’re developing a website to point out to archive collections held in the communities of the Western Isles, offering programmes of training, exhibitions and events and generally promoting access to archive material to all.

**TALK**

It’s within that promotional aspect of the project that I am delighted to have been invited to talk to you this evening.

As you can tell, I’m English but my entire professional life as an archivist has been spent in Scotland. I’m an archivist but I would not call myself a historian. The job of the archivist is to identify, select and preserve records to be held permanently as historical records and to facilitate access to these. It is our researchers who are the historians. Obviously, an archivist needs a broad overview of the history of the area in which they work and the records in their care in order to add context and value to the collections and to help direct researchers to records of interest. That is not to say I don’t have a strong interest in history but in the same way as you wouldn’t expect a librarian to have read every book in their care, an archivist will not necessarily know every document in their care. In preparing this tour of Stornoway, it has given Donna, Katie Anne and I an excuse to go and delve into the historical records of the town and get to know them better. Many of the tales I will depart have been researched by them and credit is due to Donna and Katie Anne for their invaluable contribution to this paper.

I’ve called this talk An Archive Tour of Stornoway. I want to take you on a meander around the Burgh and wider Parish of Stornoway looking at the areas history from information gleaned from archive records. As an incomer to the area, I have obviously read various local history publications, attended talks, seen TV programmes and spoken with people which have all helped to expand my knowledge of the area. But for the purposes of this talk I’m trying to avoid that knowledge and instead focus on what can be learnt from the recorded history held in the archives. This, I hope, will allow me to introduce you all to collections of archive records held by the Comhairle, other public authorities, businesses and records held in private hands. Through highlighting some of the stories that can be gleaned from these documents I hope it will encourage you all to investigate them further to help expand the collective knowledge and understanding of the areas development. Some of these records you will already be aware off and have used, but I hope that many will be new to you and hopefully inspire new research.

STARTING THE TOUR

[Power Point slide 2: View of Stornoway from Gallowshill featuring remains of Stornoway castle. Washington Wilson? Held by Stornoway library]

Everyone visiting the islands before the development of the airport would have come to Stornoway by boat and so the harbour and piers of Stornoway seem a good place to start this tour.

Stornoway Pier & Harbour Commission was established in 1865 and has a beautiful collection of archives in Amity House. The first minute book of the authority is the only document I have seen that appears to have suffered in the Town Hall fire of 1918 – it being badly burnt and scorched. Significant conservation work has been undertaken on the minute book but large parts of it are sadly illegible.

As well as the minutes of the Port Authority surviving through to the present day, detailed operational records of the port have survived. Sailing and mooring records survive from 1865 along with fishing boat registration and detailed financial records. Notably, property deeds for many Stornoway properties around South and North Beach survive dating back into the 1790s that have the potential for researchers to find out more about individuals properties in the town. Catherine Mackay’s book, *It Must be Stornoway*, makes great use of these records to provide the fascinating history of the port. Thankfully, the Port Authority is pleased to make records available to researchers. The Tasglann team have also undertaken a detailed survey listing of the collection although there is far more detailed work to do on this important collection.

Assuming the Lews Castle Archive goes ahead, the repatriation of Customs & Excise Records from Edinburgh dating from 1765 will make a fascinating complementary resource for these records.

[PowerPoint slide 3: Postcard - View of Stornoway from the Castle. Postcard held in private hands]

I’m always interested on people’s first impressions of the town of Stornoway, especially when they turn up in primary source archive material. Postcards are a brilliant source for these. Mainly traded these days by dealers for the images on their front, the text on the back can be hugely revealing. A postcard that is held in private hands of which the Tasglann team became aware has a fantastic letter on its reverse from an army man serving in Stornoway in 1944 to his sweetheart. As well as a brief account of his day to day work and the showing of films in the mess he discusses his impression of the town:

[PowerPoint slide 4: Postcard - View of Stornoway from the Castle. Text side. Postcard held in private hands]

“I did not find Stornoway quite as busy a town as I expected... A few very ordinary shops, a few hotels, two or three churches and house that vary in size from medium to very small. About two thirds of the people appear to be middle class looking people of a sturdy build and the remaining one third appear to be a rather poor class of crofter who live in tiny hovels with perhaps a cow or a few sheep as company. The women folk dress in black or dark colours and appear to make clothes last far beyond their normal span of life.”

HOTELS – MEETINGS OF PARISH As we walk down from Amity House to Castle Street we come to meet several hotels – Caledonian, Lewis and Crown. Prior to the establishment of the town hall and other rooms, these were often venues for the meeting of Stornoway’s Parochial Board and later Parish Council.

Until 1845, government interference with the Islands was minimal, but the Poor Law Act of 1845 saw the establishment of parochial boards in the four parishes of Stornoway, Lochs, Uig and Barvas to over see the raising of the poor rate to help the most needy and destitute of the area.

The Stornoway Board was made up of representatives from the Kirk Session, local property owners and elected members. It assessed land and heritages to levy a poor rate on owners and occupiers. The board appointed an Inspector of the Poor who managed the collection and distribution of poor relief. The Inspector visited the poor and brought reasonable applications before the Board who then determined whether aid was to be given and how much.

The Poor were the problem of the Parish in which they were born unless they had the right of settlement in the place they found themselves living. Determining settlement (i.e. whether an individual was the responsibility of the parish or another parish) gave rise to detailed record keeping. For Stornoway, we have an almost complete run of parish and poor law records for 1845 through to the Public Assistance Committee that was eventually abolished with the coming of the Welfare State. If your own research uncovers individuals listed in birth, marriage, death or census records as being a pauper or being the poor house in the Western isles we’re likely to have records relating to them.

A browse through the applications for poor relief make for sad reading. In the 1920s, there is an application by a mother on behalf of her daughter, Mary. The Poor Law inspector notes that Mary has always lived in Stornoway with her mother, but that she is weak minded and not fit for any work. The Parish Council provide financial relief and also fund medical attention for Mary.

Help was not only given in the form of cash payments. In December 1921 a local fisherman is awarded ½ ball meal and groceries rather than money. In another case, a 66 year old crofter in the town recently lost her son to infections from a skin disease and as a result the bedding all had to be destroyed – she is provided with a new blanket and bed covers.

In 1914 see a wife leaving her husband due to his ill treatment of her and she takes shelter in the recreation rooms on North Beach Street. The family has no food but apply to the inspector for medical attention for the youngest child who is down with measles – help is granted.

Often it is possible to find detailed records of individual cases. In May 1894, Harris-born Alexander Morrison came to the attention of the Inspector in Stornoway, living on Keith Street. His application for help details that had lived in Stornoway for 32 years taking work on coastal smacks. Aged 67 and already widowed twice, he was sole carer for his gravely ill third wife, Mary, and struggling financially. The Inspector records details of the Morrison’s situation and notes that a small life assurance policy is held for them both by Alexander. The case goes to the Parochial Board who admit Alexander onto the Poor Roll and he received 1 shilling a week in aid, raising it to 3/- a few months later. Recognising that the Morrison’s are unlikely to work or be able to support themselves again, the Board also decide to look into cashing in their small life policy valued at £2, the money to be retained by the Board.

The Morrison’s entry on the Poor Roll records further details about Alexander’s children including their names and ages. One who had moved to Australia, another is married in Harris, whilst three others are in Glasgow working as a blacksmith, labourer and riveter respectfully. Detailed records of the financial help received from the Board are recorded along with other changes in circumstance. This includes the sad news of the death of Mary in November 1894. A few months later, the Board reduce Alexander’s aid to 1/6 accordingly but do pay his yearly £3 rent.

Three years late, Alexander is living with an Anne Macleod on Scotland Street and both are offered places as “test cases” in the new Lewis Combination Poorhouse that had just recently opened. Anne goes, but Alexander refuses although he is admitted the following month. Life in the poorhouse wasn’t easy, and Alexander absconded within 48 hours. As punishment for refusing help he was struck off the Poor Roll.

What happened over the winter and spring to Alexander is unknown from the records but in August he is readmitted to the Poorhouse. This time he doesn’t abscond but in November dies in the poorhouse aged around 71.

Alex’s story came about as a result of a family history enquiry who knew that Alex had dies in the poorhouse. Working backwards through the records, we were able to trace Alex’s story and the enquirer was thrilled with the detail of this information. The Australian daughter link opened up a whole new avenue of research for the enquirer!

**Point Street**

[PowerPoint slide 5: View of Point Street, featuring fishing rod with fish! Image held by Stornoway Historical Society] Continuing our walk down Point Street we get to the original site of the Lews Coffee House Company, established in 1878. The establishment served tea, coffee and hot chocolate to the people of Stornoway and was deliberately set up as a temperate alternative to the licensed premises across the town. Here you could enjoy newspapers and meet with friends. In 1884, the coffee shop moved to what is now the Star Inn before winding up in 1911, ironically only a few years before Stornoway went dry. The minute book and a ledger survive for the shop, casting detail on its history and operation.

TOWN HALL/BURGH BURGH OF STORNOWAY [PowerPoint slide 6 - Sale of Work, Stornoway Town Hall, 1910. Image held by Stornoway library]

Further down Point Street we reach Stornoway Town Hall, the home until 1975 of the Burgh of Stornoway. The Burgh was established under a charter from James VI in 1607, entitling the inhabitants to be free burgesses and to elect Bailies. Despite the Charter, no steps were taken to establish these new rights. The surviving records of the Burgh don’t begin until 1863 when a Police Burgh was created under the Police (Scotland) Act 1862.

The complete minutes of the burgh from 1863 until 1975 survive in over 37 volumes of hand written detail that are invaluable for the study of the Burg’s history. The first minute book details the definition of the Burgh’s boundaries. This is drawn in great detail in words but a map would have been so much more useful. [A map from c1930s is held in Stornoway library showing the outline of the Burgh in its original setting with its various expansions up until 1934]

The minute book also details the election of the town’s Police Commissioners held at the Court House on 27 January 1864 with the first full meeting of Commissioners sitting 1 February. 64 people turned were eligible to cast votes in the election in which 12 individuals stood from which 9 were elected. Amongst the unsuccessful was Donald Munro, Chamberlain of the Lews and Sir James Matheson’s right hand man, who only polled 39 votes where most others were hitting the 60 mark. He did however manage to make his way onto the Commissioners by 1865.

In its first years, the Burgh looked at naming roads and numbering houses as well as dealing with issues relating to cleansing and street lighting. The cleansing committee reports can be quite fun. An 1864 report relating to a Mrs Mackenzie’s property on South Beach Street. Here, the reporting inspector states he “Found 3 pigs in a filthy state in a confined backyard most offensive and injurious to health and must be particularly so to the Lewis Hotel. Order pig sty to be moved to corner of the Town Garden”. Other reports talk of choked drains, a slaughterhouse on Cromwell Street that was order to be removed and a recommendation in April 1864 for the inhabitants of Stornoway “to take more care in throwing out their dirt etc, on the streets.”

By the 1870s, we start to see the Burgh records becoming more formalised and modern committee structures and departments evolving. These included a Magistrates and Drill Hall Committee; a Works & Water Standing Committee; Lights and Cleansing Committee; and a finance committee. The 1870s onwards sees discussion regarding the establishment of a hospital in the area, arrangements for the water supply, maintenance of footpaths, postal arrangements and public toilets.

Records that have survived relating to the burgh cover all aspects of its operations: these are recorded in letter books, accounts, assessment rolls and rates collection, public health minutes, housing records, roads maintenance and a Police Court Minute book. This latter document records the Burgh Police Court activities from 1957-1979. It lists the defendant, their crime and punishments which could range from fines to imprisonment. The most common crime is listed as being under the Licensing Act 1903 Section 70 (1) – further research shows this to be individuals walking the streets alone when under the influence of drink. The Burgh, or Town Council as it become known, also administered several charitable funds.

[PowerPoint slide 7: Image of the Highlands & Islands Medical Committee, 1912, featuring JL Robertson. Image found on Google]

One notable bequest came from the noted Lewis man, JL Robertson. Having risen to the ranks of the Chief Inspector of School in the Highlands, he was also a member of the Dewar committee who investigate medical provision in the Highlands that reported in 1912. He was educated in the General Assembly School in Lewis himself and upon his death in Inverness in 1927 his body was brought back to Stornoway for what newspaper reports indicate was one of the most well attended funerals in many years. Like many of Stornoway’s great and good, he now lies in Sandwick Cemetery. Under the terms of his will he left a bequest to the people of Stornoway to help those most in need. Applications to the fund are held by the Comhairle and these include people looking for help with funeral expenses and for financial aid due to their personal circumstances. Interestingly, the fund also provided grants of between £15 and £25 and for a small number of people to emigrate to New Zealand and Canada.

An application was also made to the fund by the Stornoway Burgh District Nursing Association for a nurse to attend the sick and the poor out with the burgh. After consideration, the Trustees resolved that a contribution of £40 per annum be made to the Association.

Considering the fire of 1918, a remarkable amount of records survive for Lewis and Stornoway. James Shaw Grant records that his own father was involved in rescuing the Parish Records from the building but notes that much was lost. It’s unclear sadly as to what actually was lost, but I know on Lewis the general excuse for anything that can’t be found is that it must have gone in the Town Hall fire. This is a fair enough statement, but possibly not when I’ve heard the excuse applied to records that would have been created after 1918! UTILITIES

Standing at the cross roads of Point Street and Cromwell Street, you are in a well lit section of the town with adequate drainage and sewerage works. Utilities companies on the island are some of the earliest business records available to researchers for the island and are worth noting. The Gas Works were situated at the edge of Newton with records appearing to be held by the National Archives of Scotland dating back into the early to mid 1800s. Records of the Stornoway Gas Light Co Ltd incorporated in 1888 are also held there.

The Stornoway Water Company was established in 1848 and its minute book survives on the island. Born out of a public meeting at the Masonic hall in 1842 the book mentions that at this point a gas company was already established. The Water Company was to set pipe work to bring fresh water into the town and to provide water filtration works. In a moment of foresight possibly never seen again by utility companies, the Water Company looked to work with the gas company as far as possible to reduce costs and disruption when laying pipe work. The Gas Company’s manager, Mr Wilson, was to superintend the opening of drains, laying of pipes and collection of water dues with the Water Company paying one-third of his salary. The company laid the mains pipes but connection to the mains from individual properties needed to be paid for by the householder.

In 1870 the Burgh Commissioners of Stornoway tendered the sum of £750 to purchase the water plant of the company which was refused. The Company wanting £1300 seeing as the outlay to that date had exceeded £2000. In December 1870 it was agreed by the shareholders however to accept the Burgh’s offer of £750 for the plant. It was agreed to wind up the company with its powers and services transferring to the Burgh of Stornoway.

STORNOWAY GAZETTE / JAMES SHAW GRANT Moving a little up point street from the cross roads we reach the offices of the Stornoway gazette. Now owned by Johnston Press, we are all familiar with the wealth of historical evidence to be found in its pages.

[PowerPoint slide 8: James Shaw Grant and his wife Cathie dancing at a party. Image held in James Shaw Grant collection, Tasglann nan Eilean Siar]

The personal papers of one of its former editors, James Shaw Grant, have lain within Stornoway Library for a number of years but have been little exploited by researchers. Donna from the Tasglann team has undertaken the monumental task of sorting and cataloguing these papers and a catalogue will be available soon.

His papers cover his time as editor of the Stornoway Gazette for 31 years from 1932, taking overt the paper his father founded. It also gives us records from the other aspects of his professional life such as his work with the Crofter’s Commission and roles with the Highlands and Islands Development Board. The records include speeches, memorandums and annual reports but also more personal documents relating to his more creative side. This includes plays and short stories which were performed in partnership with the Pitlochry Festival Theatre of which he was a Board Member. He had a large interest in local history and islanders who had left the island and made an impact in various parts of the world. These include writings on Roderick Smith of Borve who lead the search for Louis Riel in Red River (now Manitoba) during the 1885 rebellion. Or James Morrison who was boatswain’s mate on HMS Bounty and who was involved in the infamous mutiny.

As editor of the paper, the records contain correspondence sent to him regarding many subjects. This includes a letter from a Mainland gent who had met an Island lass on the Loch Ness and, unsure of whom he could turn to for help in finding her again, wrote to Grant to ask if he could place an appeal in the Gazette. In another letter of 1957, a local man wrote asking if it is possible to place an advert in the paper as he was in search of a wife. We’re not sure if the advert was placed but it does sound like the Gazette could run a lonely hearts column without too many problems!

CROMWELL STREET

\[PowerPoint slide 9: Image of Hugh Matheson’s Lewis bakery & Provisions Store [original held privately]\]

Moving back down to Cromwell Street we meet the sites of many well known shops including Roderick Smith’s chemist and Hugh Matheson’s bakery. I won’t dwell on these as they were covered in depth by Malcolm, Norrie and Sandy at the hugely successful old shops of Stornoway event last year. The exhibition panels on the shop are still up in the foyer of the library.

One shop the Tasglann team has worked with on Cromwell Street is KJ Macdonald’s who allowed us to view and catalogue their archives.

[PowerPoint slide 10: KJ Macdonald Ltd. Image from Google Street view]

A pharmacist’s had occupied the site at 29 Cromwell Street since at least 1899 when it was occupied by Samuel Lawrence. In 1904, W J Tolmie is listed in the valuation rolls for Stornoway as the pharmacist with Hugh Martin taking over in 1910. It is believed Kenneth John Macdonald, or Kenny Froggans as he was better know, came to work either with or for Hugh Martin and by 1921 he had acquired the shop outright. The records of the shop are amazing: prescription records from 1899 until the 1970s document pretty much every pill and potion dispensed. Customer accounts show their dealings with various Stornoway and island doctors and buildings, such as the poorhouse. Sadly, data protection restrictions mean it may be some years before these records can be fully exploited and researched but they are a valuable addition to Stornoway’s archival heritage. Many of Stornoway’s bank managers were major figures in the town holding places on the Burgh or with the school boards. All of the Stornoway banks are branches of banks who maintain formal archives on the mainland. For example, the Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland have significant archive holdings in Edinburgh staffed by a gang of professional archivists. I do not know to what extent individual account records for islanders exist but I somehow doubt it is many.

Stornoway and the Isle of Lewis was the home of the first mobile bank in the UK.

[PowerPoint slide 11: National Bank of Scotland mobile banks on Lewis. Images held by Royal Bank of Scotland Group Archives]

The National Bank of Scotland, now absorbed into the RBS, faced the problem of how to provide banking facilities in remote areas, where the population was too scattered to warrant the establishment of a sub-office. Late in 1946 the idea of introducing a ‘Travelling Bank’ on the Isle of Lewis was suggested to serve in particular the island’s crofter weavers who previously had to take a day off work to use the National Bank branch in Stornoway. Accordingly the mobile bank, based at Stornoway branch under the charge of the local agent Donald McIver, went into service on Tuesday 5 November 1946. The Studebaker van, converted for the bank’s own use had three desks with adjustable swivel seats, shelving, cash boxes ‘and many of the other appurtenances of normal bank offices’. The van was on the road for four days one week and five the next and travelled, on average, some fifty miles per day.¹

LOOKING OUT TO THE CASTLE

From Cromwell Street, Lews Castle can easily been seen standing over the town, the seat of the Islands lairds for many years.

[PowerPoint slide 12: Lewis Castle staff photograph taken in the glasshouses c1900-1910. Image held privately]

¹ Taken from http://www.rbs.co.uk/personal/ways-to-bank-with-us/mobile-bank/history.ashx As a general rule of thumb, the oldest archives that survive anywhere tend to relate to land ownership, property, taxation or rights and this is certainly true in the case of the ownership and management of Stornoway and Lewis.

We all know the ownership history of the islands but where is the proof of this ownership? As I am sure you are aware, the oldest records of the Mackenzie Seaforth papers held in the National Archives in Edinburgh (reference GD46) documenting their ownership and management of the Island of Lewis until 1844 when they sold up to the Matheson’s.

The collection totals over 20 linear metres of records. The records held in Edinburgh relate to land management and ownership: rents, leases and other financial issues. A small selection of these records have been copied and are available within Stornoway library and pretty much every Comann Eachdraidh in Lewis has copies of the rental pages for their areas which can be an aid to family history. There is a wealth of research material here but the records being in Edinburgh is something of a barrier to their full exploitation for looking into the history of the Islands and Stornoway.

Sadly for us, as the Mackenzies held estates in other areas of Scotland that are documented within these records, they are not scheduled for return to Lewis if and when the Lewis Castle Museum & Archive is established. However, a detailed catalogue of the collection is available online at allowing us to interrogate remotely to make the most of any research trips to Edinburgh.

With the transfer of the Island to the Matheson family we have to look elsewhere for information on the islands ownership and management. Estate records from the time of the Matheson’s are few and far between. The most historically important I’d hope now form part of the Stornoway Trust’s own records but this requires further research and the Tasglann Project has yet to undertake a survey of what is actually held there. Some material may be held in with the records of Jardine, Matheson & Co Ltd whose records survive at the University of Cambridge although these predominantly are concerned with the business that made Matheson’s fortune rather than the personal papers based around how he spent his money.

One surviving document we do have relating to the Matheson period is a letter to Lady Matheson in August 1862 from NMG Hutchison at Soval lodge concerning arrangements for a visiting fishing party. In the letter, he suggests options for entertaining the party but points out the issues of midges and whether it’s suitable bathing weather. He also discusses the menu for the evening meal consisting of “Mutton top and bottom / salmon to quarters – Entrees of œuf / Trout frites. Venison steaks (assuming they are able to catch a stag) and, my personal favourite, “Sautee á la Squeak de Bubble”.

[PowerPoint slide 13: Extract of letter to Lady Matheson featuring the words “Squeak de Bubble”. Original held by Tasglann nan Eilean Siar, Accn 2011/002]

Another document in the care of Stornoway Library is a legal memorial compiled in 1861 by Matheson’s factor, Donald Munro. There appears to have been a conflict between the Matheson Estate and town at this point regarding ownership of the shoreline and piers. The volume pulls together transcriptions of legal charters dating from 1610 supporting the Matheson case for ownership leading up to Legal Counsel’s opinion in 1961 supporting the case. It’s a document worthy of further investigation.

With the Matheson sale to Lord Leverhulme in 1918 the estate management papers were transferred to him which were then passed onto the Stornoway Trust in 1925. Like the Matheson’s, few of Leverhulme’s personal papers have survived having been destroyed under the terms of his Will. A few boxes of uncatalogued material are held by the Unilever archives in Port Sunlight on the Wirral, including I believe inventories of the contents of Lews Castle. His business papers relating to MacFisheries etc. are also held in the archive in Port Sunlight. No online catalogue is available but the Tasglann do have rough box lists of what is held there. A delightful legacy that is held from the Leverhulme period is a small private publication “Loose Leaves from the Lews” published by his son in 1918 after the families first visit as owners of the island. Full of photographs and writings from his friends, it also includes some Leverhulme’s own poetry:

[PowerPoint slide 14: pages from “Loose Leaves of the Lews” published in 1918. Held by Stornoway Library]

“There’s a lovely bright island names Lews, Of all spots in the world I would choose, To live there for ever; Midst its people I'll tether, Myself, and leave never, The lads strong and clever, Lassies bonnie as heather, Hearts light as a feather, A smile like the morning, Their faces adorning; What more need one say. So here ends my lay. May deeds and not words in love our hearts fuse.

Compare this to the message he sent in his Christmas Card to friends in 1920. Inside there is a poem by Helen Sevrez which seems to hint at those who stand in the way of ‘progress’

[PowerPoint slide 15: Poem included in Lord Leverhulme’s Christmas card, 1920. Held by Stornoway Library]

There’s a sunny side to the darkest road On the difficult journey of life There are golden hours when we slip of the load Of the blackest hours of strife

Yet some queer folk seem to the like the gloom And the discord of strain and stress They look upon life as a step the tomb And the world as a wilderness

It is not a big stretch to imagine that he is referring to inhabitants of Lewis following the land raids of Gress and general resistance to some of his more progressive ideas.

UP ONTO KENNETH STREET As we come up onto Kenneth Street via Church Street, we come to Stornoway Police Station. As a public authority with its HQ in Inverness, many of the islands policing records have been transferred for archive storage to Inverness. Discussions have been held that will hopefully see the Lewis records returned to the new archive at Stornoway where they can be made more easily accessible to islanders. The key records held appear to be the individual station log books which must shed great light onto the day-to-day activities of the police on the Islands.

MASONIC LODGE [PowerPoint 16: Masonic lodge survey being undertaken by the Tasglann. Image of their library and of David looking through a cupboard of archives. Images held by Tasglann nan Eilean Siar]

Kenneth Street is also the home of the oldest and probably largest collection of historical records still held on the island - the records of the Lodge Fortrose No 108. The records of the Masonic Lodge are complete from its foundation in 1767 and record every member and meeting held. The archives also include membership records and records relating to the lodges’ charitable work, especially including its benevolent assistance work to individuals who were in need of financial assistance. The lodge has also become a natural and trusted resting home for historical records not related to the lodge. A recent survey of the lodges records undertaken by the Tasglann uncovered papers relating to the Stornoway Choral Society of the 1860s and collections of letterheads of Stornoway and Island businesses past and present. Access to these records is at the discretion of the Lodge but there is a wealth of material to be discovered.

As well as being a home for the lodge, the Lodge Building was also the site of many of Stornoway’s most important public meetings, including the first meetings of the Burgh’s Commissioners. It was also the home of several clubs and societies.

**DEBATING**

By 1871, the Young Mans Mutual Improvement Association was in full swing. The only surviving record held is the minute book of the Association from 1871-1878. I was always intrigued when I saw this volume in the list of Comhairle-held archives as I hadn’t a clue as to what the organisation did or was about. I had visions of some sort of YMCA and was almost disappointed to see it was a debating society when we looked at the records.

Debating subject included:

‘Were the Southern States justified in their attempts to separate themselves from the union?’ ‘Is novel reading beneficial?’

But matters weren’t always just about debate. Essays were also submitted for public reading and discussion. The Association appears to have ceased by the 1880s but a new group, the Stornoway Literary and Debating Society, was established on 23 January 1901 in a meeting at the Lewis Coffee House. The group met weekly with its first month of meetings being held in the Secondary Department of the Nicolson Institute. However, the minute of 6 February 1901 notes that “owing to the exorbitant remuneration expected by the janitor of the Nicolson Institute … it was decided at a meeting of the Business Committee to reopen negotiations with the Fortrose Lodge of freemasons with the view of securing the reading room…for a meeting place.” This approach was accepted and their next meeting was held there and I strongly suspect that the bulk of the membership were lodge members anyway.

Similarly to the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association, the evenings were a mixture of readings and debate. Debate topics were wide and varied. “Is the present Government worthy of the confidence of the Country?” seems to be a regular debate undertaken through the short history of the society. Other topics debated include “Are the colonies as source of strength to the mother nation” and “Have we reached our zenith of Power and fame as a nation”?

“Hat nights” were also held where short debates were held on random topics pulled from a hat. In November 1907 such a night was held where the topics included

Should the land be nationalised? Is the religious novel advisable? Is the Gaelic movement doomed to failure of destined to succeed? Should the railways be nationalised? Should we like to live our lives over again if we could? Is universal suffrage desirable?

Last week, I scoured the pages of the minutes to try and find a reference to Robert Burns for our blog site and was surprised to see that he is never mentioned and no Burns Suppers were held, although other debates for the week of 25 January included debates on Shakespeare and Tennyson. What struck me looking at the topics is that the debates were sophisticated topics – concerned with more worldly matters and there is little discussion of the island’s own economy, fishing and crofting. Debates did occasionally look at issues closer to home, such as in 1902 when a session was held on the “Development of Lewis as a Holiday Resort”.

[PowerPoint slide 17: Dinner menu and programme as pasted into Stornoway Literary and Debating Society minute book. Held by Stornoway Library]

The Society did institute a formal dinner, the first being held 17 March 1903. The event and speeches were reported verbatim in the Highland News, a copy of which is pasted into the minute book, which allows us to see some of the membership who attended along with a raft of civic dignitaries. It seems a shame that the society finally wound up in 1909 after 8 active years, ultimately, due to a lack of interest by the membership.

STAGG ROAD Moving north, we reach Stagg Road. Here, in 1893, Parochial Board Buildings for lodging the poor appear to have resided. One of the delights of working with archives is finding the completely unexpected. When looking at one of the Parish Council minute books we found it included a press clipping of a sheriff court case centred on these buildings. A Miss Isabella Ferguson struck her sister, Mary Pink, around the head with a pan.

[PowerPoint slide 18: Press cutting recording the event pasted into cover of Stornoway Parish Minute Book reference R1.231. Held by Tasglann nan Eilean Siar]

The case is recorded almost verbatim in the news cutting with commentary from the reporter, who, on understanding that she was charged with breach of the peace at Stag road comments “which we might remark is rather a difficult task to perform for “the public peace” has practically no existence in the salubrious vicinity of Stag road.” The Sheriff admonishes Isabella, who is going to work as a gutter, but also criticises the Parochial Board, calling the Parochial Board Building a “perfect disgrace” and that it was scandalous to “have so many people of immoral character housed there”.

21 The actual Poorhouse of Stornoway was to be found at the top end of what is now Westview Terrace outside the border of the Burgh itself. The 1845 poor Law Act enabled the construction by parishes or combination of parishes of poorhouses. Pressure was put on the four Lewis Parochial Boards for many years to build a poorhouse but the boards resisted until the building of the Lewis Combination Poorhouse in Stornoway in 1894-6.

The minutes of the Poorhouse exist for 1893 through until 1970 by which point it was the Management Committee for Dun Berisay and Coulregrein Home. The Poorhouse was jointly erected by the four parochial boards of Lewis and from the outset there were the usually inter parish arguments you would expect from any decision taken in Lewis! The proportion each parish was to pay towards its establishment, building and maintenance was based upon the number of beds allocated per parish. Needless to say, Stornoway had the largest share but this was increased when Barvas, Lochs and Uig complained that they didn’t need so many beds.

The poorhouse is clearly visible in aerial photographs of Stornoway.

As well as being the home of last resort for the most need it also a place of refuge in times of crisis. When the SS Norge sank of the coast of Lewis in 1904, the minute book records:

‘During this quarter we had a very busy time with the ship wrecked folk from the ‘SS Norge’ – this having reference to the admission to house on 4th July of 52 men, women and children as some of the survivors of from the Scandinavian- American emigrant SS Norge lost at Rockall on 28th June…”

A thank you letter was received from Mr Gundal, latterly Master of the Norge, which was also copied into the minute book

“Allow me to convey the sincerest and warmest thanks to you and all the inhabitants of Stornoway for your kindness, hospitality and goodwill to all of us poor shipwrecked and sick persons. We all feel deeply indebted and thankful. I cannot find words to explain my gratitude to all. Everyone (rich and poor) have done so much, and been so kind to us foreigners. The children and sick have been nursed as careful by your ladies as if they were children of their own. Everyone had a kind word to us. I think no other place in the world would have done what you have done to us. All my life I will think of you with the highest esteem, gratitude and thankfulness. God reward you for all.

With sincerest of high estimation and thankfulness for the survivors of SS Norge landed at Stornoway.

[PowerPoint slide 21. Crop rotation records for Coulregrein House 1940. Original held by Tasglann nan Eilean Siar ref Accn 2011/004]

From 1939, the poorhouse took part in the war effort, turning over its gardens to producing vegetables for their own needs. The crop rotation book for the gardens exists showing the vegetables being grown, their rotation and even the varieties being planted for their use. Parts of this have now been digitised for use in an education pack for schools as part of the Soil Association’s Crofting Connections project so that they can study the use and purpose of crop rotation.

IOLAIRE As well as the sinking of the Norge, we cannot forget the tragic loss of the *Iolaire* in 1919. A local fund was established to aid the bereaved and the Council holds the applications to this fund.

An application to the fund casts light of a family situation. The deceased sailor, Malcolm, had two relatives who made applications to the relief fund. One is his father and the other his Aunt. The deceased was sent to live with his aunt when he was a child as his mother has passed away. From an attached letter to the Fund application, the father states that Malcolm gave a portion of his earnings to his aunt rather than his father. However the father feels he deserved a portion of the relief fund as he was, I quote ‘looking forward to him as my first help and if he was spared he would do that for me as a dutiful son to me.’ The father is unemployed due to ill health, but has a pension of 11/9 a week. The aunt is widowed with no children and has no income. It appears that the aunt is awarded a portion of the fund, while the father receives nothing.

**LEWIS HOSPITAL / HEALTH BOARD**

Across from the poorhouse closer to town stood the Lewis hospital. Margaret Dobson has covered the history of the hospital in her fascinating account in previous sessions of the Society so I need not go into that here. In writing these, I believe she drew on the annual reports of hospital held by the health board but there must be many more historical records relating to the hospitals and medical activities of Lewis held by the modern NHS Board. The whereabouts of these are currently under investigation by the Tasglann and the Health board. However, it is interesting to note that reference to the maintenance of a Lewis Hospital is raised in the Burgh of Stornoway records and also the Lewis District Committee and later Lewis District Council records should anyone wish to come and have a delve through them.

**MATHESON ROAD**

If we drop down Robertson Road towards Matheson Road we find the fire station. Similar to the police, it is hoped that relevant records from their mainland HQ will be returned to Stornoway in the future. This includes, I believe, plans for many Stornoway buildings that no longer exist – a hugely valuable resource for understanding the history of Stornoway buildings and the town’s development.

**CHURCH RECORDS**

As we walk up Matheson Road we reach the High Church of Stornoway having also passed near to St Columba’s Church and the Free Presbyterian Church on the way.

The complex history of the Church in Scotland could fill up several evening of presentations in itself. The Church of Scotland’s Presbytery of Lewis Records are housed in Edinburgh. These consists of 5 volumes of minutes of the Presbytery dating from 1742-1919, the more modern records presumably still being held by the presbytery office. Under a formal agreement between the Established Church and the Scottish Government, all Church of Scotland records are housed at the National Archive of Scotland. While this centralisation has been undertaken for the Presbytery records in the Islands, individual kirk session records have never been transferred and still sit within the individual churches to which they belong. It has been intimated by the National Archives that the Lewis Presbytery records will be returned to the Islands in the new archive facility at Lews Castle for local study as part of their realisation that records relating to localities really are better placed within those localities.

[PowerPoint slide 22: Stornoway High Church manse on Goathill road. Original held by Stornoway Library]

While the Tasglann isn’t going out of its way to do a full mapping of church records across the islands we have looked at the records of the High Church in Stornoway. The church has an interesting and detailed history documented in its records from 1887. In 1900, the Free Church joined with the United Presbyterian church becoming the United Free High congregation of the United Free Church of Scotland based on Kenneth Street. The congregation was evicted from their Kenneth Street church in 1907 following the Law Lords ruling that the Free Church congregations who hadn’t joined the 1900 union were the true owners of the property. This lead to the new church was built on the junction of what of Matheson and Goathill Roads. Ultimately, the church returned to the Established Church of Scotland. As well as the Kirk session and Deacon’s court minutes, communion rolls from the 1890s onwards survive which will be of interest to family historians.

NICOLSON and SCHOOLS

[PowerPoint slide 23: OS map c1850s showing the location of the various school in Stornoway]

At the bottom of Matheson Road is the Nicolson Institute, or Institution as it was originally known. Education didn’t become a government concern until the passing of the Education Act of 1872. Before this time Stornoway had several schools: A Parish School was already in operation at the rear of St Columba’s Church, a Free Church School was operating on Francis Street, another Free school was situated on Keith Street and there was the Lady Matheson school at the junction of Scotland Street and Keith Street. The Nicolson itself had also been founded through charitable bequest prior to the coming of Government intervention in education.

The Education Act saw the establishment of the Stornoway School Board in 1873 and a complete run of records of it and the education authorities that followed run all the way through the Education Committee of the Comhairle today. Our schools are amazingly well documented as a result. The School Board was responsible for the management of schools within the Parish of Stornoway. Once of its first acts was to identify where new schools were to be built. This included the three school on Point, and new schools at Laxdale, Tong, Tolsta and Sandwickhill. The board appointed teachers which at times proved challenging. While a district levy was raised through the poor inspector to help fund schools, the appointment of a certified teacher to a school brought with it a government grant of around £80 a year. This was valuable income but appointing teachers often meant bringing in teachers from outside of the islands. In the case of Sandwickhill School, recruiting certified staff was hugely problematic. The school was due to open in January 1880 and in autumn 1979 an advert was placed for a teacher. A succession of 5 people were offered the job all of whom declined and one of whom was poached at the last minute to go to Bayble school. It was October 1880 before William Fraser was appointed; 5 months after the school had opened.

The School boards were also responsible for attendance and appointed the Compulsory officer, or whipper in, for each school. Parents who failed to send their children to school could be summoned before the Board to explain themselves and in severe cases a prosecution could be put to the sheriff. The Stornoway School board records give some of the excuses provided by parents for the non-attendance of their children. For example: a Mr Macdonald of Coll had failed to send his two daughters to school. He explained to the Board his wife had been bed ridden for 18 months and that the eldest child required to attend her mother. He promised to send youngest daughter to School.

There are two cases I found where the parent claims their child leaves for school every day but they had received no intimation from the school that the child wasn’t attending. Where this is true or a case of the parent’s creating excuses is unclear but the Board threatened prosecution if things didn’t improve.

The school log books maintained by each school provide an invaluable insight into daily life in the schools. The Bayble school log for 1907 records an outbreak of Scarlett fever which closed the school for 6 weeks over Christmas and also spread to Air School. Others records incidents of Truancy – at Bayble again the teacher complains of boys not attending school as they are out fishing on the rocks. Absence is also lamented by the teacher for children helping with spring work, peat cutting and potato gathering. The Nicolson Institution remained independent of the School Board until c1880. The Trustees minute book of the Nicolson survives in Stornoway library and covers the period 1870-1888. As well as dealing with the administration of the School and its ultimate transfer to the School Board, this is one of those delightful records that show you some of the more personal politics of the town of Stornoway. The Clerk to the trustees until 1874 was the town’s chamberlain and general master of all things, Donald Munro (who incidentally was also chairman of all 4 island school boards at this point). In order to save money, the Trustees decided that the head teacher of the Nicolson would also be the Clerk thus relieving Donald Munro of his paid position and influence over the trustees. The minutes record the unwillingness of Munro to hand over the official papers of the trustees, including the minute book, to the new clerk. Copies of correspondence are copied into the volume in which Munro tries to justify not handing over the records and essentially it all gets very petty. Eventually, the records are handed over and the new clerk starts his job.

[PowerPoint slide 24: Nicolson Institution Minute book 1870-1888 showing the unauthorised entry by Donald Munro and the clerk’s comments. Original held by Stornoway Library.]

Somehow, Munro manages to get hold of the minute book again and enters a four page rant about his treatment and situation into its pages. A handwritten note in the margin of the rant states “The above statement has been inserted by Mr Don Munro without the consent of the Trustees. John Sutherland, Clerk”.

Donald Munro’s career is well documented in James Shaw Grant’s book “A shilling for your scowl” and his ultimate demise is recorded in detail but his presence is littered through out the official records of the town.

GARDEN ROAD

[PowerPoint slide 25: Image of women waulking cloth] From the Nicolson, we can walk down Garden Road to the offices of the Harris Tweed Authority. Their home for 40 years, the Authorities first offices were in London and then Inverness. Last year, Donna and Katie Anne spent a couple of days undertaking a detailed survey of the archives held by the Authority. The records on site dated back to 1935 but older records are held by Highland Archive which would be repatriated to Stornoway if a new archive is built. While the minutes are an important source for the history of the organisation, the gems are the trademark records and legal files that relate to the numerous legal battles over the years that both helped define what Harris Tweed is, and challenged those who aimed to copy it. Hidden within the collections are small collections of records relating to now defunct mills that are ripe for research but my personal favourite items are the small weavers books listing the individual crofters and the amount they were paid for their piecework. This collection is hugely important not only to the island, but I can’t believe an individual can research trademark law anywhere in the world without reference to the Harris Tweed Authority. I’m delighted to say that the surveyed material, consisting of 26 boxes of records, has been deposited with the Tasglann in the last few weeks with a box list are available of what is held so that we can begin to provide access to this valuable collection.

Lewis Street

[PowerPoint 26: Image of Stornoway Sheriff Court. Google images]

My final stop on this tour is one place which Donald Munro was no stranger – Stornoway Sheriff Court. Located on the site of the town jail and also the site of the first Council offices, the records of the court date back to 1788 and are held in the National Archives of Edinburgh. 35 metres of fascinating records relating to the legal struggles are held and what a marvellous research resource these must be for the islands history. It is unclear whether these records would return to the island if the Lews Castle archive is built, but I sincerely hope they will. So that finishes the tour of Stornoway. It has been a bit whistle-stop and there are many more stories and collections of records I could have spoken about. The Tasglann are able to provide public access through our office in Stornoway Library to many of these that are held by public authorities and we can help to broker access to records held privately. More detailed information on the content of individual collections will be made available through our website due for launch later this year to help open up these resources to researchers the world over. What I hope this tour has shown is that Stornoway is very lucky in both the quality and quantity of the historical archives that have survived that tell the history of the town and that these are screaming our for researchers to come and use them.

[PowerPoint slide 27: Contact details]

David Powell January 2012 Tasglann nan Eilean Siar 6 Kenneth Street, Stornoway, HS1 2DP 01851 822750 tasglann@cne-siar.gov.uk